Bottom Line: James Bond’s Future Is Uncertain

Published 4 years ago
by
Kofi Outlaw
, Updated February 15th, 2014 at 4:30 pm,

Ok, so enough is enough. In the last few weeks there’s been a lot of back and forth and back again about the James Bond franchise and its immediate future in light of the ongoing MGM bankruptcy fiasco.

A lot of Websites (Screen Rant included) have been reporting what they allege is the latest “news” or “updates” about where the Bond franchise is and where it will be in the near future – but it’s all just talk. The bottom line is this: nobody really knows nothing about Bond’s future in the movie business. Not the studio, or the people involved with the films – certainly not any reporters or “trusted sources.” Let’s take a step back from all the hype for a second and retrace our steps.

At the start of this year it was business as usual: The next Bond film (tentatively titled Bond 23 until a catchier name is selected) was on schedule. We heard that Frost/Nixon writer Peter Morgan was working on a “shocking” new Bond script, and when you hear about an Oscar-nominated writer cooking up a thrilling script in a famous action franchise, you have reason to be excited.

Next, we heard that Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes was getting involved with Bond 23 – either as the director or a consultant – and again, we had good reason to be enthused. James Bond as envisioned by Oscar-caliber writers and directors? YES PLEASE!

After that you had the next logical step in James Bond rumoring: who the new Bond girl and villain would be. We heard names like Olivia Wilde and Frieda Pinto tossed around as possible Bond girls, and even heard that Sam Mendes’ on-again, off-again girlfriend, actress Rachel Weisz, might play a major Bond villain. Admittedly these were just RUMORS, but they were the usual sort of whisper-round-the-water-cooler fun that comes with the development of any Bond film.

As spring transitioned into summer, things took a bad turn. We here at Screen Rant have been keeping careful tabs on the MGM bankruptcy fiasco for a long time, and were always wary of how the studio’s breakdown would affect films like The Hobbitand James Bond – so it was more a confirmation of our fears than a shocking revelation when it was announced that Bond 23 is being delayed for the time being, until MGM sorts itself out.

And that’s where the story ends. Period.

Since the announcement of the Bond delay, the Interweb has been spouting so many Bond franchise ‘dead or alive’ posts that you’d think 007 was the new Elvis. Harry Knowles over at AICNrecently went on a geek tirade about MGM screwing up the movies he’s eager for, and in that rant he made the claim that Bond is officially dead. We reported that non-news here on Screen Rant (hell I edited and published it) – however, in retrospect, we should have let that one pass us by. Not everything need be reported (just one rule we often adhere to, but now and then forget).

After the “Bond is dead” declaration there’s been a bunch of online debate going back in forth, with Deadline claiming that Sam Mendes and current Bond Daniel Craig will “wait for MGM,” while other major outlets like CBS Celebrity Circuit are following with the “Bond is dead” angle. Everybody seems to be saying something about Bond’s future at the movies – and yet, truthfully speaking, not one single person knows what is going to happen to the franchise at this point – not even MGM or the people attached to the film.

The franchise itself will live on, of course, but as far as who will be writing, directing or starring as Bond, and whether or not the story will continue the half-imagined narrative tossed out in Quantum of Solace or be forced to “reboot” itself again? NO ONE REALLY KNOWS. As our own Niall Browne points out, this has happened before with James Bond; all we can do now is wait and see how MGM climbs out of its financial hole, and how long it takes them to do so. Those resolutions will ultimately determine Bond’s future.

In the meantime, don’t believe the hype around the Web – the only ones who have THE definitive answer are the ones willing to admit there is no answer to give right now.

We’ll keep you updated. Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute headlines (@screenrant).

Get real: Michael Fassbender would be the latest and greatest James Bond since Connery. If Hollywood hasn’t figured this one out they are inveterate road kill. Daniel Craig is just “too earnest.” (ala Green Card)

You know, if they wanted to do an actual sequel to Casino Royale, why didn’t they simply get the same director (Martin Campbell) and writers back??? That would have completely prevented the crapfest that was Quantum of Solace…

But anyway, this sucks about MGM and Bond because I do like the Bond character, even though the movies are hit and miss. I was hoping for another movie along the lines of Casino Royale…

AICN did not say that “Bond was officially dead” they said that all development on the Bond film is officially dead, which is an accurate statement. In a article where your main point is accuracy, I wish you would not pull quotes out of context.

I tried to tell people this when the story came out. It was reported by a tabloid in the UK, but since AICN posted something about it that made it true. I don’t work for a site or run a blog and even I knew it was BS. A little bit of research on the web would have told anyone who actually took the time to look that the story was a rumor and nothing more…

I always look at the James Bond story as not one man but many men that take over the position of James Bond, every so many years, since World War I. There was Barry Nelson on T.V. in the 1950′s, Sean Connery in the 60′s, all the stars, pretending to be Bond, that were in the original Casino Royal 1967, George Lazenby 1969, Connery 1970, Roger Moore 70′s – 80′s, Connery 1983, Timothy Dalton late 80′s, Pierse Brosnon 95 to 2002, and finally Daniel Craig. If they could have Bond 23 showing how the identity of James Bond was transitioned form one agent to the next agent and reasons for the transition. This could help set up for when it goes from Craig to one of the young vampire actors. Maybe it would also be a way to get all the previous James Bonds in one file, except for Mr. Nelson and David Niven who are deceased.

So nobody knows and there are plenty of people making a mountain out of a mole hill, although the MGM bankruptcy is quite a mole hill. Even if Bond 23 is canned, will be canned or all evidence of destroyed in some mysterious fire/insurance job one things for sure and that is the franchise will continue, just not yet. All we can do is wait and see what rumoured twist the whole Bond 23 saga supposedly takes next.

Really to me James Bond died with the Cold War….the new story lines are sort of ridiculous to me, and I honestly stopped watching them. I guess to me should say something after loving the movies so much that I even joined Intelligence in the Army from my love of James Bond….now I find myself bored by the movies. I used to always see the movies within the first week of opening, but the last one came out and I barely noticed it. I haven’t bothered to see a Bond film in the theater now since “Tomorrow Never Dies”….to me there is no real story or plot, just shoot outs, car chases, and explosions….it just isn’t the same Bond that made everything successful.

SkyfaII – MGM, Sony and Eon Productions fiIming on the new SkyfaII project.
We bound to see a new generation of Bond emerging.

James Bond 23 SkyfaII “we need to keep the romanticism, espionage and intrigue of exotic Iocation yet cut way back on cheap action adventure which has in recent years put it in the wrong cIass of fiIm”

Soundtrack wiII reveaI aII aIso cIouded in secrecy as are the fuII cast.